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Proclamation Line
King George III ordered no more colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. Colonists were angry because they wanted to move west and many moved west anyway, ignoring the law. -
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"Road to Revolution"
During this time Acts were placed on the colonist. Due to the acts it made the colonist to revolt against England. -
Quartering Act
This act required colonists to provide food and shelter to British soldiers. Resentment grew towards England because this act. -
Stamp Act
This act was the first tax pass on the colonist and not just merchants. Almost all items were taxed, including newspapers, posters, deeds, and even playing cards. -
Declaratory Act
This law declared England's authority to makes laws for the colonies. The Parliament then agreed to repeal the Stamp Act on the condition that the Declaratory Act was passed. -
Townshend Acts
This is a series of acts taxed items like tea, paper, and glass. The British also had warrants to search for smuggled goods in colonist houses. -
Boston Massacre
Britain dispatched soldiers to Boston to keep order, where colonists heckled them. British soldiers fired on a heckling crowd of colonists, killing 5 people. -
Committee of Correspondence
Colonies set up groups to communicate about British activities. The committees unified the colonies, shaped public opinion, and coordinated resisting the British. -
Tea Act
This lowered the tax on British tea, making it cheaper than the non-British tea colonists smuggled. Colonists were mad and felt forced to buy British tea. -
Boston Tea Party
In 1773, colonists, disguised as Indians, dumped 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. Samuel Adams publicly defended the action and may have participated The "Tea Party". -
Intolerable or Coercive Acts
England shut down Boston Harbor, stopped allowing elections, and expanded the Quartering Act. More British troops were sent to the colonies to keep order, raising tension. -
"Shot Heard Around the World"
The "Shot Heard Around the World" is considered by many the start of the American Revolution. At, Concord, 400 minutemen attacked and chased the British back to Boston, killing 99 troops local militias surrounded the British in Boston. -
Common Sense
Thomas Pine wrote "Common Sense'' pushing for Independence.
"Common Sense" was influenced by the Enlightenment ideas on natural right and compact theory. Paine said Britain violated colonists' natural rights and thus was an illegitimate government. -
Declaration of Independence
In Congress, future president John Adams vocally pushed for independence. Congress declared its decision to become independent from Britain on July 2nd.
